What is a Project Plan?

As project managers, we know that project plans comes in varying degrees of complexity. The one absolute thing in order to deliver a project on time is having a good project plan.

So what is a project plan? There are a lot of components that go into any project. Components, such as when, why, what and how it will be executed, must be all addressed in your project plan.

Project plans are typically presented as a Gantt chart and includes:

• phases of the project
• activities or work breakdown tasks in each phase
• the task start and end dates
• milestones

Your project plan should focus mainly on the management process, while detailing the tools and technologies needed to deliver the project. It’s also important that this document is a living document. Meaning that it should be frequently updated throughout the life cycle of the project.

Poor documentation can lead to disastrous results for all stakeholders. Project planning can be difficult, but keep in mind that no project is successful on its own. The better your plan is, the more likely it will finishing on time and within budget.

What do you struggle with when starting a new project?